Monday, 21 September 2015

Keith Richards - Crosseyed Heart, album review

Grizzled Romantic

Whenever Richards does depart to the Great Riff Heaven in
the Sky, I hope his daughters – should they take up his recent suggestion –
leave behind a little for the rest of us to smoke and/or snort [each to their
own] so that we can all share in the laid-back essence of Keef. Until then, we
have this album to imbibe.

Richards’ latest solo, 23 years after the previous, begins
with its title song, 1 minute and 52 seconds of a lovely finger-picked acoustic
blues where Keith waxes laconically about his lovers before running out of
anecdote with right that’s all I got
and we move into an electric Heartstopper
which sounds like so many of the recent Stones’ album songs: light riff,
sweetish chorus, some harmony vocal, and a brisk guitar break.

Third Amnesia
starts with Keith growl-talking about when theshit kicks in, and then more rolling
riffs move us neatly on with sax puffs and echoed vocal reflecting on falling
out of a tree [literally, if you recall], a tight guitar break; fourth Robbed Blind is a wonderful
country-infused ballad where Keith talks some more about having his stuff half-inched.

The consummate Keef track is fifth Trouble where he also reminds us he can sing – inimitably – if he
tries, and those riffs are as punchy as ever, slide complementing: band
X-Pensive Winos attending again.

Seventh Nothing on Me
is sublime with those simple but sharp chord strides, Keith adamant about his
survival and proving it in these songs at 71, both comically self-effacing and
defiant, that he has not waned. Next Suspicious
slows it back down to more sweetness. Quite gorgeous really.

The blues of Blues in
the Morning rises up after this to remind of roots and all those many years
of Richards’ groovin’ so. Something for
Nothing introduces some soulful background singing in the chorus, and the
duet with Nora Jones, Illusion, is a
piano based ballad of hushed rise and fall.

Penultimate Substantial
Damage is all jagged riff’n’roll, Keith’s own blues explosion, and the
album end on Lover’s Plea is
surprisingly slowed again, but it is another sweet ballad, Stax-soul horns, and
talk of love reminds us perhaps of the grizzled romanticism at the heart of the
great man’s outwardly ramshackle persona.

About Me

This blog is essentially for music reviews, including live gigs. Frequently heavy on 60s/70s nostalgia, the time of my musical growing-up, there is also an eclectic and contemporary range. In addition I fuel a commitment to posting themed album covers for the simple challenge and fun of it - as I've started, I'll keep going. Enjoy.